Officially, the delegates were sent to create a new government.. too little political power was left to the states.. a strong national union with two branches of government.. a strong na
Trang 1CHAPTER 2: The Constitution
MULTIPLE CHOICE
1 Which of the following statements regarding the Constitutional Convention is incorrect?
a None of the delegates was chosen by popular election
b The delegates met in secret
c There was no media coverage of the Convention
d Officially, the delegates were sent to create a new government
e One state sent no delegates at all
2 Which president was physically disabled without most Americans even knowing?
a George Washington
b Andrew Jackson
c Franklin Roosevelt
d Harry Truman
e Woodrow Wilson
3 The text notes a recent Supreme Court case involving received extensive and intense media coverage before and after the Court’s decision
a health care
b the death penalty
c the Exclusionary Rule
d affirmative action
e school desegregation
4 The goal of the American Revolution was
a equality
b financial betterment
c political efficacy
d liberty
e fraternity
5 The Russian Revolution (1917) and the Chinese Revolution (1949) were chiefly concerned with
a politics
b economics
c equality
d liberty
e fraternity
6 The explanation for the inadequacy of British government was
a ideology
b human nature
c distance
Trang 2d economics
e political inefficiency
7 The liberties that the colonists fought to protect were based on
a the Bill of Rights in the federal Constitution
b the rights proclaimed originally by the king of England
c the leaders of the French Revolution
d “natural rights” created by God
e human nature
8 Jefferson changed to “pursuit of happiness” when he wrote the Declaration of
Independence
a “pleasure”
b “security”
c “welfare”
d “equality”
e “property”
9 For most Americans, the Revolution was about
a money
b property
c ideology
d trade
e expansion
10 The Declaration of Independence contains twenty-seven paragraphs that list
a specific complaints against the king and his ministers
b political prisoners in the colonies
c rights enumerated in the British constitution
d trade regulations violated by British ships
e reasons for desiring a written constitution
11 In drafting the Declaration, Jefferson originally added an item that addressed the issue of but Congress decided to drop it from the document
a piracy
b slavery
c commercial trade
d capital punishment
e pardons
12 The political theory of the Declaration of Independence was influenced greatly by the writings of
a Thomas Hobbes
b Soren Kierkegaard
c John Locke
Trang 3d Karl Marx
e Elbert Hubbard
13 Two Treatises of Government argued that was a critical element in the formation of
government
a representation
b elasticity
c compromise
d voluntary consent
e social equality
14 Who said that the “real revolution” was the “radical change in the principles, opinions, and sentiments, and affections of the people”?
a James Madison
b John Locke
c Thomas Jefferson
d John Adams
e George Washington
15 The “new sentiment” that the United States was founded upon was
a concentrated political power
b tradition
c compromise
d economic equality
e consent of the governed
16 The period of time between the Revolution and the signing of the Constitution was years
a two
b four
c six
d nine
e eleven
17 The problem with the government created under the Articles of Confederation was that
a it allowed well-populated states to exploit less-populated states
b it offended citizens with high rates of taxation
c it received such strong support that it became abusive
d several states refused to ratify the Articles and did not belong to the new government
e it was too weak and could not rule effectively
18 The Articles of Confederation went into effect in
a 1770
b 1790
c 1781
Trang 4d 1776
e 1787
19 Under the Articles of Confederation, there was
a no national judicial system
b a politically inept judicial system
c a small judicial system
d a weak judicial system
e an all-powerful judicial system
20 The stated purpose for the delegates’ assembly in Philadelphia in 1787 was to
a write a new constitution
b discuss trade regulation
c discuss taxation
d revise the Articles of Confederation
e discuss slavery
21 The convention in Philadelphia lasted about
a two weeks
b four months
c ten months
d one year
e eleven years
22 The constitution was the most radically democratic of the new state regimes
a Massachusetts
b Pennsylvania
c New Jersey
d Virginia
e Connecticut
23 The experience of Pennsylvania’s constitution demonstrated that
a the people are competent to exercise power wisely
b it is possible to give minority groups too much protection
c the doctrine of separation of powers works well
d majority rule is an efficient safeguard to political rights
e even democracies can be tyrannical by placing all power in one set of hands
24 Which of the following is true of the Massachusetts constitution?
a It was far more democratic than the Pennsylvania constitution
b It did not provide for a separation of powers
c It provided for a directly elected governor
d It allowed a limited four-year term for state judges
e It created the office of governor to be held by three persons at once
Trang 5ANS: C REF: 17 NOT: Factual
25 The experience of the Massachusetts constitution of 1780 proved that even a conservative form of government could
a be too weak
b guarantee personal liberties
c function without a clear separation of powers
d govern effectively without a court system
e reduce the possibility of excessive taxes
26 Shays’s Rebellion was conducted by a group of
a former politicians
b poverty stricken ship owners and seamen
c disgruntled bankers and financers
d ex-Revolutionary War officers and soldiers
e Both options a and c are true
27 Who, notably, said, “A little rebellion now and then is a good thing”?
a Washington
b Adams
c Jefferson
d Madison
e Jackson
28 Shays’s Rebellion was interpreted by political leaders at the time as proving that
a too little political power was left to the states
b state militias were a satisfactory answer to foreign invasion
c there was much popular dissatisfaction with the leadership of George Washington
d the British still retained the allegiance of many Americans
e many state governments were about to collapse from internal dissension
29 The Philadelphia convention attracted a total of delegates
a 74
b 55
c 39
d 30
e 12
30 About of the delegates in Philadelphia were regular participants at the convention
a 74
b 35
c 39
d 30
e 12
Trang 6ANS: D REF: 18 NOT: Factual
31 A conspicuous number of delegates at the Constitutional Convention were
a lawyers
b doctors
c military generals
d French
e New Yorkers
32 Of the men at the Constitutional Convention, the most famous in the world as a scientist and writer was
a Alexander Hamilton
b George Washington
c James Madison
d Thomas Jefferson
e Benjamin Franklin
33 The Constitutional Convention can be described as
a creating a new form of national government
b revising the Articles of Confederation
c supporting state sovereignty
d favoring a parliamentary system of governance
e forming the world’s first large direct democracy
34 The framers believed that which of the following is a greater threat than rule by the few?
a Inequality
b Tyranny of the majority
c Decentralization
d States’ rights
e Aristocracy
35 The chief problem the Framers faced was balancing the power of the government to maintain
a liberty
b equality
c states’ rights
d economic status
e political efficacy
36 The Virginia Plan was authored by
a Alexander Hamilton
b George Washington
c Benjamin Franklin
d James Madison
e John Adams
Trang 737 The Virginia Plan called for
a a strong national union with two branches of government
b a strong national union with three branches of government
c a weak national union with two branches of government
d a weak national union with three branches of government
e a weak national union with an all-powerful legislature
38 The New Jersey Plan was favored by less-populated states because
a both houses of Congress would be based on population
b the president probably would reside in less-populated states
c the president would be elected by vote of the people
d states were taxed on the basis of population
e Congress would be unicameral, with each state having one vote
39 The Great Compromise allocated representation on the basis of
a population in both houses
b equality in both houses
c population in the House and equality in the Senate
d equality in the House and population in the Senate
e a changing structure every four years
40 The number of senators allowed to each state under the Great Compromise was
a one
b two
c based on population
d two, plus additional members on the basis of population
e two, plus additional members on the basis of state seniority
41 Under the Great Compromise, senators were chosen by
a the electoral college
b vote of the people
c state governors
d the judiciary of each state
e state legislatures
42 The Great Compromise received support because it
a reconciled the interests of small and large states
b allowed for the election of the president by the electoral college
c proposed the Bill of Rights
d gave the Supreme Court the power of judicial review
e allowed slavery to continue in the southern states
Trang 843 By the end of the Convention, one state was represented by a single delegate—the other delegates having left the Convention; that state was
a Pennsylvania
b New York
c Massachusetts
d Georgia
e North Carolina
44 The electoral college, judicial review, and indirect election of the Senate are features of the Constitution
a federal
b antifederalist
c anti-democratic
d democratic
e bicameral
45 When all was said and done, the delegates of states who remained in Philadelphia approved the Constitution
a 5
b 9
c 12
d 13
e 15
46 Technically speaking, there were never more than states represented at the Convention
a 5
b 6
c 9
d 11
e 12
47 All of the delegates from the State of left the Convention, with the exception of
Alexander Hamilton
a New Hampshire
b Rhode Island
c New York
d Massachusetts
e Georgia
48 Which of the following statements regarding the signing of the Constitution is incorrect?
a It contains 39 signatures
b One person signed his own name and the name of another delegate not in attendance
c Only one delegate from New York signed
d Three delegates who were present at the signing refused to sign
e None of the above is true
Trang 9ANS: E REF: 22 NOT: Factual
49 The Framers of the Constitution intended to create a
a democracy
b pure democracy
c direct democracy
d republic
e participative democracy
50 Only one constitutional amendment has been ratified in the conventions of three-fourths of the states— the Amendment
a Eleventh
b Fourteenth
c Nineteenth
d Twenty-first
e Twenty-seventh
51 Which constitutional amendment took 202 years to ratify?
a Eleventh Amendment
b Fourteenth Amendment
c Nineteenth Amendment
d Twenty-first Amendment
e Twenty-seventh Amendment
52 The Framers of the Constitution believed that two types of majorities were essential on important questions; they are majorities of
a both large and small states
b the Supreme Court and Congress
c voters and states
d state governors and state legislatures
e state legislatures and judges
53 The power of popular majorities is limited by
a national sovereignty
b majority rule
c selection of the House of Representatives
d the First Amendment
e judicial review
54 Under the Constitution, the powers of the branches of government are not separated but shared
owing to
a the Great Compromise
b the commerce clause
c judicial review
d checks and balances
Trang 10e the Fourth Amendment
55 The Constitution is based on the philosophical belief that
a people are good and can be trusted with power
b only a few people can be trusted to rule, and the people have the wisdom to
recognize them
c power does not corrupt if rulers are subjected to regular elections
d people will pursue their self-interest, but their ambition can be checked by the self-interest
of others
e government can reform human nature if given an adequate amount of power
56 James Madison argued that
a liberty is safest in a small republic because all people will have the same interests
b liberty is safest in a large republic where each faction will be moderated through
competition with other factions
c liberty is not possible without a bill of rights
d no liberty is possible so long as factions exist
e liberty is most secure when there are a small number of factions
57 Generally, the Antifederalists felt that the government created by the Constitution was
a an insufficient check on the power of the states
b too strong and too centralized
c too liberal
d barely strong enough to be effective
e weak as a result of the absence of a federal judiciary
58 According to Madison, it was best for the government to be at some distance from the people because
a a government should debate in secrecy to allow the representatives to say what they truly
believe
b to avoid corruption; legislators should not be distracted by too many influences
c presidents could play to the crowd and be tempted to become demagogues
d the government should be insulated from the momentary passions of the people
e the people tend to be better informed about local matters
59 The Constitution contained no bill of rights because, among other things,
a liberty—not rights—was the chief concern of such bills
b the Constitution was ratified before a bill of rights was deemed necessary
c the Framers thought they were creating a government with specific, limited powers
d special interest groups forced the changes after the document was ratified
e the delegates were instructed to create a new government, but not a bill of rights
60 When the Constitution was written, slaves were of the population of the five Southern states
a one-half